The Orthopox genus (Orthopoxviridae) is a member of the Poxyiridae family and the Choropoxivirinae subfamily. The genus consists of numerous viruses that cause significant disease in human and animal populations. Viruses in the orthopox genus include cowpox, monkeypox, vaccina, and variola (smallpox), all of which can infect humans.
The smallpox (variola) virus is of particular importance. Recent concerns over the use of smallpox virus as a biological weapon has underscored the necessity of developing small molecule therapeutics that target orthopoxviruses. Variola virus is highly transmissible and causes severe disease in humans resulting in high mortality rates (Henderson et al. (1999) JAMA. 281:2127-2137). Moreover, there is precedent for use of variola virus as a biological weapon. During the French and Indian wars (1754-1765), British soldiers distributed blankets used by smallpox patients to American Indians in order to establish epidemics (Stern, E. W. and Stern A. E. 1945. The effect of smallpox on the destiny of the Amerindian. Boston). The resulting outbreaks caused 50% mortality in some Indian tribes (Stern, E. W. and Stern A. E.). More recently, the soviet government launched a program to produce highly virulent weaponized forms of variola in aerosolized suspensions (Henderson, supra). Of more concern is the observation that recombinant forms of poxvirus have been developed that have the potential of causing disease in vaccinated animals (Jackson et al. (2001) J. Virol., 75:1205-1210).
The smallpox vaccine program was terminated in 1972; thus, many individuals are no longer immune to smallpox infection. Even vaccinated individuals may no longer be fully protected, especially against highly virulent or recombinant strains of virus (Downie and McCarthy. (1958) J. Hyg. 56:479-487; Jackson, supra). Therefore, mortality rates would be high if variola virus were reintroduced into the human population either deliberately or accidentally.
Variola virus is naturally transmitted via aerosolized droplets to the respiratory mucosa where replication in lymph tissue produces asymptomatic infection that lasts 1-3 days. Virus is disseminated through the lymph to the skin where replication in the small dermal blood vessels and subsequent infection and lysis of adjacent epidermal cells produces skin lesions (Moss, B. (1990) Poxyiridae and Their Replication, 2079-2111. In B. N. Fields and D. M. Knipe (eds.), Fields Virology. Raven Press, Ltd., New York). Two forms of disease are associated with variola virus infection; variola major, the most common form of disease, which produces a 30% mortality rate and variola minor, which is less prevalent and rarely leads to death (<1%). Mortality is the result of disseminated intravascular coagulation, hypotension, and cardiovascular collapse, that can be exacerbated by clotting defects in the rare hemorrhagic type of smallpox (Moss, supra).
A recent outbreak of monkeypox virus underscores the need for developing small molecule therapeutics that target viruses in the orthpox genus. Appearance of monkeypox in the US represents an emerging infection. Monkeypox and smallpox cause similar diseases in humans, however mortality for monkeypox is lower (1%).
Vaccination is the current means for preventing orthopox virus disease, particularly smallpox disease. The smallpox vaccine was developed using attenuated strains of vaccinia virus that replicate locally and provide protective immunity against variola virus in greater than 95% of vaccinated individuals (Modlin (2001) MMWR (Morb Mort Wkly Rep) 50:1-25). Adverse advents associated with vaccination occur frequently (1:5000) and include generalized vaccinia and inadvertent transfer of vaccinia from the vaccination site. More serious complications such as encephalitis occur at a rate of 1:300,000, which is often fatal (Modlin, supra). The risk of adverse events is even more pronounced in immunocompromised individuals (Engler et al. (2002) J Allergy Clin Immunol. 110:357-365). Thus, vaccination is contraindicated for people with AIDS or allergic skin diseases (Engler et al.). While protective immunity lasts for many years, the antibody response to smallpox vaccination is significantly reduced 10 to 15 years post inoculation (Downie, supra). In addition, vaccination may not be protective against recombinant forms of ortho poxvirus. A recent study showed that recombinant forms of mousepox virus that express IL-4 cause death in vaccinated mice (Jackson, supra). Given the side effects associated with vaccination, contraindication of immunocompromised individuals, and inability to protect against recombinant strains of virus, better preventatives and/or new therapeutics for treatment of smallpox virus infection are needed.
Vaccinia virus immunoglobulin (VIG) has been used for the treatment of post-vaccination complications. VIG is an isotonic sterile solution of immunoglobulin fraction of plasma derived from individuals who received the vaccinia virus vaccine. It is used to treat eczema vaccinatum and some forms of progressive vaccinia. Since this product is available in limited quantities and difficult to obtain, it has not been indicated for use in the event of a generalized smallpox outbreak (Modlin, supra).
Cidofovir ([(S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine] [HPMPC]) is a nucleoside analog approved for treatment of CMV retinitis in AIDS patients. Cidofovir has been shown to have activity in vitro against a number of DNA containing viruses including adenovirus, herpesviruses, hepadnaviruses, polyomaviruses, papillomaviruses, and ortho poxviruses (Bronson et al. (1990) Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 278:277-83; De Clercq et al. (1987) Antiviral Res. 8:261-272; de Oliveira et al. (1996) Antiviral Res. 31:165-172; Snoeck et al. (2001) Clin Infect. Dis. 33:597-602). Cidofovir has also been found to inhibit authentic variola virus replication (Smee et al. (2002) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 46:1329-1335).
However, cidofovir administration is associated with a number of issues. Cidofovir is poorly bioavailable and must be administered intravenously (Lalezari et al. (1997) Ann. Intern. Med. 126:257-263). Moreover, cidofovir produces dose-limiting nephrotoxicity upon intravenous administration (Lalezari et al.). In addition, cidofovir-resistance has been noted for multiple viruses. Cidofovir-resistant cowpox, monkeypox, vaccinia, and camelpox virus variants have been isolated in the laboratory by repeated passage in the presence of drug (Smee, supra). Cidofovir-resistance represents a significant limitation for use of this compound to treat orthopoxvirus replication. Thus, the poor bioavailability, need for intravenous administration, and prevalence of resistant virus underscores the need for development of additional and alternative therapies to treat orthopoxvirus infection.
In addition to viral polymerase inhibitors such as cidofovir, a number of other compounds have been reported to inhibit orthopoxvirus replication (De Clercq. (2001) Clin Microbiol. Rev. 14:382-397). Historically, methisazone, the prototypical thiosemicarbazone, has been used in the prophylactic treatment of smallpox infections (Bauer et al. (1969) Am. J. Epidemiol. 90:130-145). However, this compound class has not garnered much attention since the eradication of smallpox due to generally unacceptable side effects such as severe nausea and vomiting. Mechanism of action studies suggest that methisazone interferes with translation of L genes (De Clercq (2001), supra). Like cidofovir, methisazone is a relatively non-specific antiviral compound and can inhibit a number of other viruses including adenoviruses, picornaviruses, reoviruses, arboviruses, and myxoviruses (Id.).
Another class of compounds potentially useful for the treatment of poxviruses is represented by inhibitors of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAH). This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of S-adenosylhomocysteine to adenosine and homocysteine, a necessary step in the methylation and maturation of viral mRNA. Inhibitors of this enzyme have shown efficacy at inhibiting vaccinia virus in vitro and in vivo (De Clercq et al. (1998) Nucleosides Nucleotides. 17:625-634). Structurally, all active inhibitors reported to date are analogues of the nucleoside adenosine. Many are carbocyclic derivatives, exemplified by Neplanacin A and 3-Deazaneplanacin A. While these compounds have shown some efficacy in animal models, like many nucleoside analogues, they suffer from general toxicity and/or poor pharmacokinetic properties (Coulombe et al. (1995) Eur. J. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 20:197-202; Obara et al. (1996) J. Med. Chem. 39:3847-3852). It is unlikely that these compounds can be administered orally, and it is currently unclear whether they can act prophylactically against smallpox infections. Identification of non-nucleoside inhibitors of SAH hydrolase, and other chemically tractable variola virus genome targets that are orally bioavailable and possess desirable pharmicokinetic (PK) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination (ADME) properties would be a significant improvement over the reported nucleoside analogues. In summary, currently available compounds that inhibit smallpox virus replication are generally non-specific and suffer from use limiting toxicities and/or questionable efficacies.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,016 (Aug. 13, 2002) and U.S. Application Publication 2002/0193443 A1 (published Dec. 19, 2002) a series of imidodisulfamide derivatives are described as being useful for orthopox virus infections.
New therapies and preventatives are clearly needed for infections and diseases caused by orthopoxvirus infection.
Several orthopoxviruses, including cowpox, monkeypox, camelpox, variola, and probably most other mammalian orthopoxviruses, can be grown readily in cell culture and produce robust cytopathic effect (CPE) in 3 to 5 days. Since this CPE is directly related to viral replication, compounds that inhibit virus replication in cell culture can be identified readily as conferring protection from virus-induced CPE (although it is theoretically possible to inhibit CPE without inhibiting virus replication). Moreover, compounds having identified activity against cowpox virus will also likely be active against human variola virus given the high degree of homology (>95%) between these two viruses the replication proteins of orthopoxviruses are highly homologous. In general, the viruses diverge in regions of their genomes that encode immuno-modulatory functions (host-specific). Additionally, many compounds have been identified in the literature that inhibit orthopoxvirus replication in cell culture and there are few, if any, examples were a compound is dramatically more potent against a one species of orthopoxvirus and not the others.